Department of International Relations
and European Studies
FACULTY OF SOCIAL STUDIES
MASARYK UNIVERSITY
Joštova 10, CZ-602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
tel: 00 420 - 549 495 224, fax: 00 420 - 549 491 920
MVZ208 Ethnic Conflicts in South Caucasus
Syllabus
Lecturer: Mgr. Zinaida Shevchuk
Course description:
The course is created to broaden student’s knowledge about conflicts in one of the ethnically
complex regions of the world – South Caucasus. The region is located at a crossroad between
Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East - it’s a meeting place of different traditions and
cultures: Christian and Islamic. This is a region, where regional and world great powers compete
for political influence and for control over energy resources. Since the dissolution of the
Soviet Union, there were created three independent states Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia,
which went through turmoil and armed conflicts. The current situation in the South Caucasus
highlights the troubled legacy of the former Soviet Union and ongoing process of multilayered
political, economic, territorial and social reconfiguration.
In order to understand the logic of these conflicts, the first part of the course presents a
conceptual and theoretical framework how to study ethnic conflict. Such framework will
include three main levels of analysis: the systemic level, the domestic level and the
perceptual level.
The second part will be concentrated on the explanation of the causes and results of ethnic
conflicts in South Caucuses and the current situation. In this part students are expected to apply
theory to practice and explore the nature and context of the conflict and its changing characteristic
features.
The aim of the course:
To examine the nature of conflicts in the South Caucasus with respect to factors that
generates those conflicts and their change in time.
To explore theoretical perspective on ethnic conflict
Develop students’ skills in conflict analysis
Requirements:
The course is completed by an examination. There will be two exams in this course: a midterm
exam and a final exam.
Grades in this course will be determined by the following:
Reading and Class Participation (10%)
Midterm 30% (covering the material in the first half of the course)
Final 60%
Written test will examine the students’ understanding of systemic, domestic and perceptual
causes of the origins of conflict, the causes and consequence of the conflicts considered and
ability to apply these conceptual tools to contemporary conflicts in the South Caucasus. Final
test will be based on the compulsory literature and the presented matter, with the success rate
of 60 % points.
Final Grading:
A. 92 – 100, B. 84 – 91, C. 76 – 83, D. 68 – 75, E. 60 - 67
Class Schedule:
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: What Is Conflict – Concepts of Ethnicity and Theoretical Framework
Greetsz, C. (1996): “Primordial Ties”, in Hutchinson J., Smith, A.(ed.): “Ethnicity”, Oxford
University Press, Oxford, New York, pp. 40-45. (5 pages).
Lake, D., Rothchild, D. (1998): “Spreading Fear: The Genesis of Transnational Ethnic Conflict”,
chapter 1 in Lake, D., Rothchild, D. (ed.): “ The International Spread of Ethnic Conflict”, Princeton
University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, pp.: 3-32. (pages 29).
Nash, M. (1996): “The Core Elements of Ethnicity”, in Hutchinson J., Smith, A.(ed.): “Ethnicity”,
Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, pp. 24-28. (4pages).
Week 3: Ethnic Conflict in IR
Lobell, S., Maucer, P. (2004): “Ethnic conflict and International Politics: Explaining Diffusion and
Escalation”, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 1-24. (23pages).
Saideman, S. (1997): “Explaining the International Relations of Secessionist Conflicts”,
International Organization, Vol.51, No 4., pp: 721-753. (32pages).
Week 4. Domestic Politics and Ethnic Conflict
Horowitz, D.(1994): “Democracy in Divided Societies”, chapter 3 in Diamond, L., Plattner, M.
(ed.): “Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and Democracy”, The John Hopkins University Press ,
Baltimore, London, pp.: 35-55. (20 pages).
Saideman, S., Lanoue, D., Campenni, M., Stanton, S. (2002): “Democratization, Political
institutions, and Ethnic Conflict. A pooled-Time Series Analysis, 1985-1998”, Comparative
Political Studies, Vol. 35, No 1., pp: 103-129. (26 pages).
Week 5. Ethnicity and Ethnic conflict
Cederman, L., Wimmer, A., Min, B. (2010): “Why Do Ethnic Groups Rebel? New Data and
Analysis”, World Politics, Vol. 62, No. 1., pp.: 87-119. (32 pages).
Kaufman, S. (2010): “ Ethnicity as a Generator of Conflict, chapter 8 in Cordell, K., Wolff,
S.: “ Routledge Handbook of Ethnic Conflict”, Routledge, pp. 91-102. (11pages).
Week 6. The Role of Myths and History in Ethnic Conflict
Midterm Exam
Kaufman, S. (2006): “The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War” chapter 2 in Kaufman, J. (2001):
“Modern Hatreds. The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War”, Cornell University Press, Ithaca,
London, pp.: 15-39. (24 pages).
Week 7. Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh
Cornell, S. (2001): “The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh”, chapter 3 in
Cornell, S.: “Small Nations and Great Powers. A Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict in the
Caucasus”, Routledge Curzon, London, New York, pp. 47- 95. (42pages).
Week 8. Georgian Conflicts - Abkhazia
Nodia, G. (1997): “Causes and Visions of Conflicts in Abkhazia”, University of California,
Berkley, pp. 2-52. (50 pages).
Week 9. Georgian Conflicts - South Ossetia
International Crisis Group, Europe Report No. 159 (2204): “Georgia: Avoiding War in South
Ossetia”, Tbilisi, Brussels, pp.: 1-29. (28 pages).
Week 10. Russian-Georgian Armed Conflict
Felgenhauer, P. (2009): “After August 7: The Escalation of the Russia-Georgia War”, chapter 9
in Cornell, S. E., Starr, S. F.: “The Guns of August 2008 Russia’s War in Georgia”, M. E.
Sharpe, Armonk, New York. pp. 162-180. (18pages).
Illarionov, A. (2009): “The Russian Leadership’s Preparation for War, 1999 – 2008”, chapter 4
in Cornell, S. E., Starr, S. F.: “The Guns of August 2008 Russia’s War in Georgia”, M. E.
Sharpe, Armonk, New York. pp. 49-84. (35pages).
Week 11. Russian Policy towards the South Caucasus
Mankoff, J. (2009): “Back to the Offensive? The Former Soviet Union”, in Mankoff, J.: “Russian
Foreign Policy. The Return of Great Power Politics”, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers,
Lanham, Boulder, New York, Toronto, Plymouth, UK., pp.: 241-246, 255-264, 280-282.
(16pages).
Week 12. The Great Game in a Small Space
Jolicoeur, P., Labarre, F. (2011): “NATO’s Engagement in the South Caucasus: Looking for
Energy Security or Expanding Norms and Values?”, chapter 10 in Jafalian, A. (ed.):”Reassessing
Security in the South Caucasus. Regional Conflict and Transformation, Ashgate, Burlington, pp.:
157-176. (19 pages).
Papkova, I. (2011): “Great Power Misalignment: The United States and the Russo-Georgian
Conflict”, chapter 3 in Astrov, A. (ed.): “The Great Power (mis) Management. Russian-Georgian
War and its Implications for Global Political Order, Ashgate, pp.: 43-58. (15 pages).
Week 13. Discussion, final remarks
Bibliography:
Cederman, L., Wimmer, A., Min, B. (2010): “Why Do Ethnic Groups Rebel? New Data and
Analysis”, World Politics, Vol. 62, No. 1., pp.: 87-119.
Cornell, S. (2001): “The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh”, chapter 3 in
Cornell, S.: “Small Nations and Great Powers. A Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict in the
Caucasus”, Routledge Curzon, London, New York, pp. 47- 95.
Felgenhauer, P. (2009): “After August 7: The Escalation of the Russia-Georgia War”, chapter 9 in
Cornell, S. E., Starr, S. F.: “The Guns of August 2008 Russia’s War in Georgia”, M. E. Sharpe,
Armonk, New York. pp. 162-180.
Greetsz, C. (1996): “Primordial Ties”, in Hutchinson J., Smith, A.(ed.): “Ethnicity”, Oxford
University Press, Oxford, New York, pp. 40-45.
Horowitz, D.(1994): “Democracy in Divided Societies”, chapter 3 in Diamond, L., Plattner, M.
(ed.): “Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and Democracy”, The John Hopkins University Press ,
Baltimore, London, pp.: 35-55.
Illarionov, A. (2009): “The Russian Leadership’s Preparation for War, 1999 – 2008”, chapter 4 in
Cornell, S. E., Starr, S. F.: “The Guns of August 2008 Russia’s War in Georgia”, M. E. Sharpe,
Armonk, New York. pp. 49-84.
International Crisis Group, Europe Report No. 159 (2204): “Georgia: Avoiding War in South
Ossetia”, Tbilisi, Brussels, pp.: 1-29.
Jolicoeur, P., Labarre, F. (2011): “NATO’s Engagement in the South Caucasus: Looking for
Energy Security or Expanding Norms and Values?”, chapter 10 in Jafalian, A. (ed.):”Reassessing
Security in the South Caucasus. Regional Conflict and Transformation, Ashgate, Burlington, pp.:
157-176.
Kaufman, S. (2006): “The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War” chapter 2 in Kaufman, J. (2001):
“Modern Hatreds. The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War”, Cornell University Press, Ithaca,
London, pp.: 15-39.
Kaufman, S. (2010): “ Ethnicity as a Generator of Conflict, chapter 8 in Cordell, K., Wolff,
S.: “ Routledge Handbook of Ethnic Conflict”, Routledge, pp. 91-102.
Lake, D., Rothchild, D. (1998): “Spreading Fear: The Genesis of Transnational Ethnic Conflict”,
chapter 1 in Lake, D., Rothchild, D. (ed.): “ The International Spread of Ethnic Conflict”, Princeton
University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, pp.: 3-32.
Lobell, S., Maucer, P. (2004): “Ethnic conflict and International Politics: Explaining Diffusion and
Escalation”, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 1-24.
Mankoff, J. (2009): “Back to the Offensive? The Former Soviet Union”, in Mankoff, J.: “Russian
Foreign Policy. The Return of Great Power Politics”, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Lanham,
Boulder, New York, Toronto, Plymouth, UK., pp.: 241-246, 255-264, 280-282.
Nash, M. (1996): “The Core Elements of Ethnicity”, in Hutchinson J., Smith, A.(ed.): “Ethnicity”,
Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, pp. 24-28.
Nodia, G. (1997): “Causes and Visions of Conflicts in Abkhazia”, University of California,
Berkley, pp. 2-52.
Papkova, I. (2011): “Great Power Misalignment: The United States and the Russo-Georgian
Conflict”, chapter 3 in Astrov, A. (ed.): “The Great Power (mis) Management. Russian-Georgian
War and its Implications for Global Political Order, Ashgate, pp.: 43-58.
Saideman, S. (1997): “Explaining the International Relations of Secessionist Conflicts”,
International Organization, Vol.51, No 4., pp: 721-753.
Saideman, S., Lanoue, D., Campenni, M., Stanton, S. (2002): “Democratization, Political
institutions, and Ethnic Conflict. A pooled-Time Series Analysis, 1985-1998”, Comparative
Political Studies, Vol. 35, No 1., pp: 103-129.